Randy Pistorius – Crescent City Sportshttps://crescentcitysports.com
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1 https://crescentcitysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/cropped-CC-sports_circle_logo2-104x104.pngRandy Pistorius – Crescent City Sportshttps://crescentcitysports.com
3232Crescent City pulls away in second half to down Calvary Baptist in Division IV boys basketball championshiphttps://crescentcitysports.com/crescent-city-pulls-away-in-second-half-to-down-calvary-baptist-in-division-iv-boys-basketball-championship/
Sun, 15 Mar 2020 15:47:01 +0000https://crescentcitysports.com/?p=186224Having to go on the road at the last minute and playing in front of a mostly empty gym did not stop Crescent City Christian from achieving their ultimate objective.

Having to go on the road at the last minute and playing in front of a mostly empty gym did not stop Crescent City Christian from achieving their ultimate objective.

The top-seeded Pioneers pulled away in the second half for a 60-49 victory over sixth-seeded Calvary Baptist in the Division IV boys basketball championship game Saturday at Lee Magnet in Baton Rouge.

Leading by five to start the second half, Crescent City maintained the lead behind Kurt Labeaud, the game’s most outstanding player who tallied seven points in the third. The Pioneers outscored the Cavaliers, 10-6, to lead 40-31 with 2:05 to go in the quarter and eventually took at 45-37 advantage into the final period.

Calvary opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run to draw within 45-43 with 5:38 to go but the Pioneers responded with a decisive 10-2 spurt started by a pair of free throws from Byron Joshua.

“My guys stuck to the game plan and they executed it,” Crescent City coach Shawn Dumas said. “We stuck to our principles and rebounded well.”

No fans were allowed in attendance per the LHSAA Coronavirus advisory issued late this week that followed regulations put in place by the state of Louisiana to limit public gatherings to 250 or less. In fact, no more than 60 people were in the gym which included both teams, school administrators, officials, game management, credentialed media and officials.

Crescent City as the higher seed was set to host the final before the LHSAA approved Calvary Baptist’s request to move the game from the metro New Orleans area because of higher risk of contracting the virus.

Dumas explained how the support for his squad extended much further than the walls of the Lee Magnet gym.

“We have the support of the school community and the church community as well,” said Dumas. “This is who we are. We are Crescent City and we love each other.”

The Pioneers were led by Joshua and Jordin Farrell with 14 points each. Glenn Rhone added 13 points, and Labeaud finished with 12.

Calvary took a quick 4-0 lead to start the game but Rhone nailed a three-ball to put the Pioneers on the board. Another three-pointer by Keane Smith with 4:45 to go in the quarter tied the score at 6-6 but the Cavaliers held a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

We are not a six-seed, more like a three or four seed, and I didn’t pay attention to the ratings till February,” said Calvary Baptist coach Victor Morris. “We went out and executed our game plan, even with no fans in the stands.”

The second quarter started with the Pioneers’ taking their first lead of the game, 15-13, on a Farrell three-point play. Crescent City later led 24-17 with 2:12 to go in the half after a 7-0 run and took a 30-25 advantage into the locker room.

“It was a big adjustment playing the game in Baton Rouge instead of Metairie,” explained Labeaud. “Give credit to my teammates, especially the seniors and Coach Shaun. We’ve been through so much. It’s the love that binds us together.”

Crescent City certainly enjoyed the ride home from what was a different experience but also just another state championship appearance for a program used to being there.

“We been in the State Championship the past four years and we’ve won two so were at 50 percent,” said Dumas.

It’s basketball and not baseball but batting or shooting .500 is not bad at all. Just ask the Pioneers.

The annual LSU Football Coaches Clinic was an abbreviated edition due to the Coronavirus. The suspension of all athletic related activities per LSU and SEC mandates meant the event was held in its entirety Thursday night in Baton Rouge. The coaches in attendance first had a chance to watch a spring practice and then head over to the South Stadium Club for a barbecue dinner. Attendees were welcomed by LSU head coach Ed Orgeron.

The featured speaker for the event was LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who took over for Dave Aranada after he accepted the Head Football Coach position at Baylor. This is Pelini’s second stint with the Tigers as defensive coordinator. Of course, Pelini served from 2005 to 2007 under current Kansas Head Coach Les Miles at LSU and left to become head coach at Nebraska after the Tigers captured the 2007 BCS National Championship. Pelini is 100-55 as a head coach after his time spent at Nebraska and Youngstown State before returning to Baton Rouge.

Pelini gave an in-depth defensive talk about his plays and schemes. He noted to the crowd of mostly Louisiana prep coaches how much he is looking forward to being back with the program and recruiting the best in Louisiana.

“I’m glad to be back in Louisiana and at LSU. I will try to take the best players in Louisiana before going out of state. My door and the LSU football program will have a open door to all of you in attendance tonight,” Pelini said.

The coaches in attendance broke up in to meetings by position led by the LSU assistant coaches for each position.

The Clinic ended with a small social to close out the night. It usually ends on Friday with a crawfish boil to complete the clinic festivities while coaches who would remain through Saturday usually would have a chance to watch the Tigers practice on Saturday morning. That will not happen this year as concerns from the virus pandemic took precedence.

Pro Football Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen was the featured speaker scheduled for Friday along with legendary former coach John Robinson, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and longtime head coach for both Southern Cal and the Los Angeles Rams. Robinson currently serves as Senior Consultant to LSU head coach Ed Orgeron.

]]>U-High edges De La Salle, 56-55, to advance to Division II boys title gamehttps://crescentcitysports.com/u-high-edges-de-la-salle-56-55-to-advance-to-division-ii-boys-title-game/
Wed, 11 Mar 2020 05:47:26 +0000https://crescentcitysports.com/?p=185941Redemption and maybe even a shot at revenge were on the minds of the Cavaliers ever since.

]]>The De La Salle Cavaliers reached the state boys basketball championship game a year ago, losing in double overtime to St. Thomas More, 77-72. Redemption and maybe even a shot at revenge were on their minds ever since.

However, a chance for both narrow slipped through their fingers in 2020.

Spurred on by a 7-0 run to start the game and a clutch free throw by Bryce Brown with four seconds left, Uiversity High defeated De La Salle, 56-55, in a Division II semifinal thriller Tuesday night at the Pennington McKernan Gymnasium on the LSU Campus.

“We played a very hard fought game you had 2 good teams going at it tonight,” said De La Salle coach Paul Kelly. “I’m proud of how hard my team fought under difficult circumstances.”

A 4-0 run with back-to-back baskets by Bryce Brown and Shawn Jones drew U-High to within 37-36 early in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers came back and tied the game for the last time 55-55 with 50 seconds left on a Jalen Ned basket. After Brown’s crucial foul shot, John Kelly launched a three-point attempt off-target before the buzzer.

“The difference in the game is we did not take care of the ball but that’s a credit to U-High,” Kelly explained. “They are difficult to operate against and they play hard and are well coached.”

De La Salle rallied from an early deficit led by Ned and Eamon Kelly after the host Cubs held a 15-7 lead after one quarter of play.

“We had a great start to the game and we knew De La Salle wouldn’t quit,” said U-High coach Joe Spencer.

The Cavaliers were spurred on in the second quarter by a pair of three-pointers from Eamon Kelly and Jharon Gilmore to be draw within 23-19 at halftime and took the lead in the game 28-27 on a free throw by Ja’Kobe Walker with 5:10 to go in the third quarter as part of a 13-0 run that gave De La Salle a 37-32 lead going into the final quarter.

“It looked like who ever got the ball last would win, and the shot by John Kelly who is an unbelievable competitor was just enough for us,” Spencer said.

U High (25-6) was led by Bryce Brown with 16 points. Milan Mejia added 13 points, and Shawn Jones finished with 12 points.

“I have seven seniors and they have all competed for state titles,” noted Spencer.

De La Salle (28-5) was led by Leonard Jackson with 13 points, Kelly with 12 and Ned with 10.

“We executed down the stretch the way we wanted to,” said Kelly. “Incredibly proud again of my team. The seven seniors did everything we asked of them over the past four years. We won’t be state champions but we are champions.”

Like De La Salle’s football team had to experience this past December, the Cubs will have to try to win a state championship game at St. Thomas More.

It’s not ideal to play at STM but we welcome the challenge.” Spencer stated. “We will go to Lafayette and battle, and it will be a great game.”

The ninth annual Louisiana Marathon was held in Baton Rouge this past weekend.

It’s a three-day celebration centered around the main event Sunday. The Expo was held on Friday and Saturday while three races scheduled took place on Saturday – the 5K, 1/4 Marathon and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Kids Mile. The weekend concluded with the Louisiana Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday under cold, windy weather to start but ended up a little warmer. This year Mother Nature was kind on both days.

The highlights of the marathon weekend was three law enforcement officers from three different states 0 Officer Danny Follett from Des Moines, Iowa, Sergeant Keegan Hughes from Blue Springs, Missouri and Detective Sean Dodge from Modesto, California – who ran in honor of fallen local Slidell Police Officer Jason Seals who died from injuries suffered in the line of duty in 2018 while escorting a funeral procession. Officer Follett ran the half marathon in full police gear alongside Seals’ sister while Officers Hughes and Dodge went the full 26.2 miles. Officer Hughes finished with a time of 5:09:54 and Officer Dodge finished with a time of 5:09:54.

A special outcome awaited a finisher of the Marathon. When 27-year-old runner Morgan Pittman crossed the finish line for the Louisiana Marathon, her boyfriend Chase Poche’ was waiting for her to ask for her hand in marriage in front of family and friends. She accepted so maybe this time next year we will have a finish-line wedding. Pittman finished 327th overall and 8th in her division with a time of 4:01:04.

Before the races on Sunday, Rev. Michael Alello – local Baton Rouge priest and Marathon runner – held mass at St Josephs Cathedral in downtown Baton Rouge just a couple of blocks from the start-finish line.

The top three finishers in the Louisiana Marathon Men’s Division were Kenney Rayner in first place at 2:28:30, second place Ryan Crandall at 2:37:04 and third place John Hitter, 2:41:47.

In the Women’s Division, the top 3 finishers for the Marathon were top finisher Samantha Yeager with a time of 2:51:31, second place Katie Moran at 3:00:42 and 3rd place Rosalie Teeuwen at 3:01:45.

The Men’s Half Marathon Division featured first place runner Christopher Capps, 1:10:01, second place Richard Bouckaert, 1:10:16, and third place Derek Yorek, 1:11:33.

The top finishers in the Women’s Half Marathon Division were top runner Jackie Range, 1:22:07, second place Ellen Benoit, 1:26:01, and third place Varinka Ensminger, 1:26:11.

In addition to Sunday’s winners, a total of 86 runners qualified for the Boston Marathon in April.

The Louisiana Marathon by the numbers had 912 total finishers – 385 Females, 527 Males – and an average time of 4:29:06.

The Louisiana Half Marathon by the numbers: 2,022 Total Finishers – 1,206 Females, 816 Males – and the average time at 2:23:13.

]]>Red Stick Classic at Catholic High starts Fridayhttps://crescentcitysports.com/red-stick-classic-at-catholic-high-starts-friday/
Fri, 27 Dec 2019 07:05:19 +0000https://crescentcitysports.com/?p=182508The Red Stick Classic has a mixed field with a different format this year.

]]>The post-Christmas prep basketball tournament schedule continues Friday as several tournaments in the Baton Rouge Area take place this week. A major one is the Red Stick Classic Hosted By Catholic High-Baton Rouge. There are eight teams in the tournament which runs through Monday but no activities can be held on Sunday per a request by the Bishops of Louisiana, including the Sunkist Shootout hosted by St Thomas More in Lafayette.

The Red Stick Classic has a mixed field with a different format this year.

“We are excited about the field this year,” said Catholic High Head Basketball Coach and Classic organizer Mark Cascio. “We have some of our regular teams back to play including us, and we have added Port Allen and John Curtis as well. Due to the LSU National Football Semifinal, we moved away from bracket play for this year only and will return to bracket play next year.”

Port Allen (6-2) will face John Curtis (5-5) to open the event at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Port Allen has wins over St Thomas More (55-51), Country Day (53-38) and Sophie B. Wright (59-55). Curtis, back to full strength after football season, has been tested with a loss to the host Catholic Bears (68-59) and against De La Salle with whom they split a pair of matchups. The Patriots have a win over Country Day (48-40).

The second game of four will have Runnels (8-12) facing Livonia (5-8) with the Wildcats of Livonia losing a big test to Lafayette Christian (43-41) in the False River Tournament.

The third game will feature two teams that southeast Louisiana basketball fans having been keeping an eye on the past few years when the host Catholic High Bears (13-1) take on the De La Salle Cavaliers (11-2). The Bears started the season 10-0 before having a setback to KIPP Booker T. Washington, 54-48, for their only loss. Catholic has also defeated Curtis (68-59) and Country Day (61-42). De La Salle has had a tough schedule, playing in the CYO Tournament and ending up as the runner up to Ponchatoula in the Newman Tournament in a tough 79-78 loss in the final.

St. Michael (7-6) faces Parkview (7-3) in the nightcap. St. Michael has faced U-High and Woodlawn this year in addtiong to hosting their own tournament. Parkview has a win over Class 5A basketball power Denham Springs, 59-48.

The Complete Red Stick Classic Schedule Can be found by clicking here.

Three other tournaments in the Baton Rouge Area over the next few days include the Walker Christmas Classic, the Episcopal-BR Classic, and the long standing EBR-Bob Pettit/Coca-Cola Boys Basketball Tournament at Zachary High.

]]>The week between Christmas and New Years brings many high school basketball tournaments across Louisiana. Two of the more well-known events start today as both Plaquemine High and St Thomas More in Lafayette will host their annual post-Christmas tournaments – the Green Devil Classic and for STM the 37th Edition of the Sunkist Shootout.

The 2019 Plaquemine Green Devil Classic runs through Saturday night with the championship game at 7.

The teams competing include David Thibodaux (2-10, a squad with big tournament experience this year after their appearance in the Newman Invitational Tournament. Helen Cox (13-2), the 2016 Champion and the 2017 runner-up, returns. McMain (6-4) also competed in the Newman Invitational losing in the semifinals to NIT champion Ponchatoula, 72-63. Donaldsonville (10-5) enter off a fine start the the season including a win over Class C power Jehovah-Jireh, 79-78. Other entrants include Amite (4-11), St James (0-9), West Feliciana (2-7) and the host Green Devils (10-4) who have already faced serious competition in the Catholic High Thanksgiving Tournament.

The bracket For the Green Devil Classic can be found by clicking here.

The 37th edition of the Sunkist Shootout started this morning in Lafayette with a 16-team bracket and eight games to open the event.

The field is well-balanced, and four teams arrive with just one or two losses, according to STM Head Coach and tournament organizer Danny Broussard.

“We have Wossman with one loss and two tourney wins in the field. Last year’s champion Sophie B. Wright returns and back for the third year in a row is Mississippi MAIS power Madison-Ridgeland Academy,” Broussard explained. “The New Orleans area has a few teams coming back with SBW including Brother Martin, Ellender and Lusher. It’s a deep and talented field”

The central Louisiana and Acadiana areas are represented by Comeaux, Mamou, Carencro, Jeanerette, Menard and LHSAA newcomer Southside along with the host Cougars. Southside is coached by Brad Boyd, who previously played for Broussard.

“This field is as good as I’ve seen in the 37 years of the Sunkist,” Broussard boasted.

Teurlings Catholic (6-4) versus Menard (10-2) opens the event. Menard’s two losses are to annual powers Peabody and Natchtoches Central. The second game pits Comeaux (8-4) against Sophie B. Wright (6-3). Comeaux has a 58-56 win over Dunham to their credit, and SBW won their own tournament earlier in the season.

Game three Thursday features Brother Martin (12-1) and Mamou (3-10). The Crusaders have a couple of wins over teams that might be in Lake Charles playing for state titles at season’s end – a 72-43 handling of McDonogh 35 and a 66-34 rout of Warren Easton.

Wossman (13-1) takes on Lusher (1-8) in game four. Wossman has won their own tournament and defeated Bossier, 67-61. The fifth game has Ellender (4-8) facing Calvary Baptist (6-4). Then a pair of powers in their states face off as Riverside (5-5) battles Madison-Ridgeland (13-1). Riverside has split a pair of close games with Class C power Jehovah-Jireh. MRA suffered their only loss this season against MHSAA power Gulfport High, 69-59, in the Gulfport Tournament.

The seventh game brings host St. Thomas More to the floor. The Cougars, who have been tested this year as they played in the Catholic High Thanksgiving Classic and the Sophie B. Wright Tournament, have a 4-4 record versus Louisiana schools. STM opens Sunkist play against Jeanerette (5-9).

Southside (7-7) plays Carencro (4-6) in the nightcap. Carencro has been tested in the Catholic tournament, losing to Plaquemine (41-31) and Scotlandville (68-22).

]]>De La Salle well-equipped to face gauntlet of tough games in 2019https://crescentcitysports.com/de-la-salle-well-equipped-to-face-gauntlet-of-tough-games-in-2019/
Sat, 20 Jul 2019 13:23:22 +0000https://crescentcitysports.mystagingwebsite.com/?p=173846The past few years have provided great times for the De La Salle Cavaliers football program which at one time was a program that wasn't seen as a threat.

The past few years have provided great times for the De La Salle Cavaliers football program which at one time was a program that wasn’t seen as a threat.

The Cavaliers have entered territory that has never been seen before in the program’s history in the last three seasons, reaching the semifinals in 2016 and 2018 and the title game in 2017. De La Salle has earned a top five seed each of the past three seasons.

Unfortunately, the Cavaliers could not finish, falling to powerful Parkview Baptist in 2016 and losing to perhaps the best team in Louisiana in any classification in University High in 2017 and 2018 as well.

Last season, De La Salle had a very tough schedule, facing St. Augustine, Riverside Academy, two-time Class 4A state champ Karr. There was also a tough loss, 14-12, to the St. Charles Catholic Comets for the district championship.

Entering his eighth season as head coach of the Cavaliers, Ryan Manale has done a tremendous job. His teams have won over 25 regular season contests past three seasons. He knows it will not be easy to duplicate the success of the three previous seasons.

“It is an honor to lead this great institution to football stability and success. Our success is a result of many things,” noted Manale. “We have great people on the Avenue with an excited alumni base. But we couldn’t do anything without the Student Athletes within our program that understand and live our values.”

De La Salle must replace six highly successful players. Three are now playing at the next level as running back Kendall Collins is across the lake, playing for Frank Scelfo and the Southeastern Lions. Fullback Kendall Baker is a freshman at Northwestern State. Offensive lineman Bryce Fricke is now at Dodge City Community College in Kansas.

The Cavaliers this year will be led on offense by junior running back Montrell Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 195 pounder who had 115 rushing yards and 978 total yards last season.

The offensive line is set to include seniors Kyle Volpi (6-2, 295) and Southeastern commitment Noah Devlin (6-3, 290) along with juniors Christopher Paz (6-1, 255), Holden Kareokowsky (6-3, 290) and John Martin (6-4, 340). The tight end is a returning senior, Lemaj Kendrick (6-2, 220).

The offense includes a new quarterback as a season-ending injury to senior quarterback Fisher Rojas in the spring has presented an opportunity for sophomore Cole Milford (5-11, 160) to step into the role.

The wide receiving corps, a group who will be coached this season by former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem, includes senior Richon Porter (5-10, 175) and a pair of juniors, Nick Tate (5-11, 160) and Nixon Bernard (5-10, 160).

Veteran defensive coordinator Eddie Jaquillard has a returning nucleus of seniors and juniors with which a stout unit should be formed. Key figures will include senior defensive back Joseph Husband (5-10, 165). The others who will play in the secondary will be seniors Robert Hudson (5-9, 165), Jacolby Hankton (5-8, 175) and Cavaliers basketball standout Jalen Ned (6-1, 180).

Up front on the defensive line will be senior Efrem Scott (6-0, 190) along with a trio of juniors – Ja’marian Peterson (6-2, 225), Dwane Tillis (5-10, 230) and Trey Hand (5-11, 285)..

The linebackers are all returning players as well with senior Ashton Robinson (5-11, 215) as the most experienced performer. Junior Shamar Keelen (6-0, 180) and sophomore Jude Milford (5-10, 185) round out the first string.

The specialists are mostly new with junior Ian Helmcke (5-9, 155) lined up to assume placekicking duties while senior Adrien Goudail (5-11, 160) will serve as punter. The aforementioned Husband will be the primary kick and punt returner again this year.

The Cavaliers have a challenging schedule again this year, opening against last year’s 4A state finalist Warren Easton on Sept 5 before a week two test against potent Country Day coached by former DLS assistant Joe Chango.

On Sept. 20, De La Salle treks to LaPlace to take on the now former district rival St. Charles in the re-dedication game for their newly remodeled Dupuy Stadium. The task of compiling wins doesn’t get any easier in weeks for the Cavaliers on Sept 27 when the defending 3A State champions from Amite come to New Orleans for Homecoming.

The start of October features a trip across Lake Ponchartrain with a Oct. 4 matchup against 2018 Class 4A quarterfinalists Lakeshore Titans. The next week, De La Salle will travel to Baton Rouge on Oct. 11 to face Southern Lab on the Bluffs. The final non-district game in week seven bring out-of-state competition when West Florida visits from Pensacola on Oct 18 at Pan American.

District games start on Oct. 24 with Haynes, the only district opponent returning to the Cavaliers’ schedule. Muss Bertolino Stadium is the site of a matchup on Halloween night against the Kenner Discovery Swamp Owls. The regular season ends on Nov. 7 as the Cavaliers will face Thomas Jefferson.

Manale sees a small district as a plus for his program, despite the scheduling challenges.

“The district we have been thrown into for the next two years is beneficial as it allows us to play seven challenging non-district games,” Manale explained. “I know most the coaches in this district and they do a great job.”

De La Salle has no shortage of appealing games as a result of the need to fill many weeks, and the program has embraced some of the best opposition possible.

“The overall outlook for this year is exciting,” Manale said. “Starting in the Jamboree competing against Ponchatoula and LSU quarterback commitment TJ Finley to facing nationally-ranked Warren Easton in Week 1 to Tulane QB commit Justin Ibieta and Country Day in Week 2 to Coach Monica’s St. Charles Comets after that and then hosting defending state champion Amite Week Four. The list goes on and on. Now we just need to find and develop the players that want to be challenged, face adversity and grow together.”

That work in preseason will start in earnest with a trip Thibodaux as part of the practice schedule.

“We usually camp for either a weekend or a day and past two years we have traveled for the day down to Nicholls State,” Manale said. “We love to get away for camp as It is always great to get away from the city and be able to focus on football. At the same time, our kids are exposed to local colleges and see the quality options our state has to offer.”

De La Salle expects to be battle tested by the time the LHSAA Select playoffs roll around and hope to be playing for the Division II state in December.

]]>Barry Alvarez headlines informative LSU Football Coaches Clinichttps://crescentcitysports.com/barry-alvarez-headlines-informative-lsu-football-coaches-clinic/
Fri, 29 Mar 2019 05:46:37 +0000https://crescentcitysports.mystagingwebsite.com/?p=169316The featured speaker for the clinic was current University of Wisconsin Director of Athletics and former head football coach Barry Alvarez.

The annual LSU Football Coaches Clinic Kicked off Thursday night in Baton Rouge where the coaches in attendance first had a chance to watch a spring practice and then head over to the Maravich Center.

Two main speakers for the clinic spoke at the P-MAC after introductory remarks by LSU head coach Ed Orgeron. The first visiting speaker was revered special teams coach Bobby April, who is currently out of coaching but served at LSU in 2017 as a special teams analyst. April talked about special teams and had some drill demonstrations as well.

The featured speaker for the clinic was current University of Wisconsin Director of Athletics and former head football coach Barry Alvarez. As the coach of the Badgers from 1990-2005, he won three Big Ten Championships during that tenure. He has been AD at Wisconsin since 2005 and has stepped in to coach the Badgers twice in an interim capacity. Alvarez has won numerous awards and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Coach Alvarez Quotes:

“You always go to these clinics to learn from the speakers at the clinics.”

“I took the Wisconsin job when I was told it was a bad job.”

“The keys to success is to build a foundation and decide your style.”

“I hired a good staff and made an immediate change in the culture of the Badger program.”

“Define roles for all in your program and pay attention to the details as well.”

“It is important to have team chemistry and to make a to do list when things need to happen quickly.”

The clinic continued Friday with speakers from the LSU coaching staff and two in-state college head coaches – Justin Charles, who is entering is second year as head coach of Louisiana College, to speak on defense and McNeese State’s Sterlin Gilbert, the first year head coach, to speak on offense. T

A crawfish boil completed the clinic festivities but coaches who remain through Saturday will have a chance to watch the Tigers practice on Saturday morning.

]]>KIPP-Booker T. Washington stuns White Castle to reach Class 1A boys basketball semifinalshttps://crescentcitysports.com/kipp-booker-t-washington-stuns-white-castle-to-reach-class-1a-boys-basketball-semifinals/
Sat, 02 Mar 2019 16:58:01 +0000https://crescentcitysports.mystagingwebsite.com/?p=167577To be the best and to play with the best, have a game plan ready and execute it. That was the case Friday night in White Castle for KIPP-Booker T. Washington.

]]>To be the best and to play with the best, have a game plan ready and execute it. That was the case Friday night in White Castle for KIPP-Booker T. Washington.

the reincarnation of the Booker T. Washington School in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina enjoyed a historic moment, toppling top seed White Castle in the 2019 LHSAA Class 1A Boys Basketball quarterfinals.

The 10th seeded Lions, a first year playoff eligible program, held on for a 68-62 win to punch their ticket to “Marsh Madness” in Lake Charles next week.

“We have no seniors so we have a young team and our kids have fun and play together,” said KIPP-BTW coach Kenny Allen.

It looked like coach Troy Green and his Bulldogs in search of a third straight 1A title were going to cruise to the next round, leading 20-11 after the first quarter but the lead dwindled to 29-25 by halftime.

The third quarter proved to be a pivotal one. Already with momentum in hand, the Lions with 2:05 to go in the quarter broke a 37-37 tie surge ahead, 48-42, heading to the fourth. White Castle would never regain the lead despite clawing within a a point or two of catching KIPP-BTW.

“This last game here does not tell the story of our season,” Green said.

With 3:34 to play, Unique Young’s three-point play drew White Castle to within 54-52 but the Lions had an answer every time they needed one. White Castle’s best chance to retake the lead came with 50 seconds left when Keyon Giroir free throws made it 60-59. Down the stretch, the Lions were clutch at the foul line to survive and advance.

The second quarter saw White Castle up their early lead to 10 points on a basket by Darian Pierce with 5:25 to play in th half, 27-17. The Lions were not ready to go away, fashioning a 8-2 run started by a Tyrese Johnson basket with 2:40 to play in the half.

“We executed our game plan and we knew we would be facing a great team and they have a great winning tradition,” Allen said. “My kids are resilient, took notice of the game and answered.”

Tyrese Johnson’s layup with 4:30 to play in the third quarter started a 13-7 run for the Lions. He later added a three-point play.

White Castle was led by Keyon Giroir with 25 points, Unique Young with 15 points, and Javier Batiste with 8 points

“Down the stretch we made a run but every time we got close, BTW would get the loose balls and the rebounds,” said Green. “We had a 25-7 record this year a good season overall and we lost eight seniors.”

]]>No. 7 seed the Plaquemine Green Devils hosted No. 10 seed the Salmen Spartans and veteran coach Jay Carlin in a regional round playoff game Tuesday night that played to form. The two teams matched up to the caliber of their seeds with the game tied 10-10 after one quarter of play. Salmen had small leads at halftime, 26-21, and at the end of the third quarter, 35-33.

But the final quarter was where the home-standing Green Devils had the slight edge they needed. DT Wicks converted a couple of crucial baskets and made clutch free throws down the stretch as Plaquemine took the LHSAA Class 4A victory 47-45 over Salmen.

Tied 45-45 with just over a minute to play after another three-pointer by Salmen’s Tahj Jackson, it was a nailbiter to the end. Wicks with 1:05 to play sank the game-winning free throws before the Plaquemine came up with stops needed to advance.

The contest was close throughout. Salmen nailed nine three-pointers compared to none for Plaquemine but the hosts attacked the lane to counter the sharp-shooting Spartans.

“We had the size advantage over Salmen once their big men fouled out,” Plaquemine Coach Donald Ray Johnson said.

Tied at 18-18 with under six minutes left in the first half, Salmen ended the quarter on a 8-3 run kicked off by a bucket from Kendrick Demourelle and ended with a three-pointer by Devon Lizana with five seconds to go in the quarter. The Spartans had their biggest lead in the game and led at halftime, 26-21.

Plaquemine stormed out of the locker room to regain the lead, 29-28, with 4:35 to go in the third quarter fueled by Barber. The teams then exchange baskets before a Tahj Jackson shot at the buzzer gave Salmen a 35-33 edge going to the final period.

If you think free throw shooting is not crucial in basketball think again. Wicks made several crucial free throws while taking on the offensive load to help the Green Devils have answered wehn needed and set up the dramatic finish.